Warp drawing-in machine



Sept. 10, 1963 F. WIENEKE 3,103,056

WARP DRAWING -IN MACHINE Filed Sept. 11. 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 26 as A3 57 INVENTOR.

redeklc/f L. iV/enerfe BY 0%, W

ATTORNEYS 5' Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 11, 1961 INVENTOR. v Z 'rec/e/vck L. lV/ene/ie ATTORNEYS Sept. .10, 1963 F. L. WIENEKE WARP DRAWING-IN MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 11, 1961 INVENTQR. Freda/1c k? L. Mme/re BY W74 W ATTORNEYS Sept. 10, 1963 F. L. WIENEKE WARP DRAWING-IN MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 11, 1961 INVENTOR. Frederick L. 'l Vl'ene/fe BY 441w,

ukyw-dsnm ATTORNEYS Sept. 10, 1963 F. L. WIENEKE 3,103,056

WARP DRAWING-IN MACHINE Filed Sept. 11, 1961 V 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 37a i/ 30 /3a INVENTOR. Frederic/f LjV/cne/re BY a)? 4 a: ,1 m4

ATTORNEYS United States Patent ()fiice Patented Sept. 10, 1963 3,103,t)56 WARP DRAWING-IN MACIWE Frederick L. Wieneke, Rockford, Ill., assignor to Barber- Coleman iCompany, Rockford, EL, a corporation at Illinois Filed Sept. 11, 1961, Ser. No. 137,298 g Claims. (Ell. 28-4-6) This invention relates to a warp drawing-in machine where the threads of a warp beam are drawn through various loom elements including heddles which are supported in the machine by one or more beddle frames. In such a machine, a heddle from a selected frame is advanced to a turning worm which turns or twists the heddle so that it will be properly presented to the needle which draws the next thread of the warp. More particularly, theinvention has reference to such a machine in which each frame supports two banks of heddles, the banks being olfset from each other and normally disposed on opposite sides of the center plane of the heddle frame.

The general object of the invention is to providea machine of the above character with a novel arrangement by which only one turning Worm is required for each heddle frame and this worm is effective to turn both banks of heddles carried by the associated frame.

A more detailed object is to deflect the heddles of at least one bank so that the body portions of these heddles are deflected into general alinement with the heddles of the other bank whereby the same turning worm may operate on both banks.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a warp drawing-in machine embodying the novel features of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken 7 along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the turningworm and associated parts.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the parts shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the drive for the turning Worm and release mechanism.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to FIG. 2. r

As shown in the clrawingsfor purposes of illustration, the invention is embodied in a warp drawing-inmachine in which the threads it) wound on a warp beam 11 are drawn through a plurality of drop wires 12, a plurality of heddles 13 and a reed 14 preparatory to mounting the warp in a loom (not shown). The beam is located under the base 15 of the machine and is held in a cradle l6 on a warp beam truck 17. The latter is separable from the base 15 and includes laterally spaced uprights 18 and arms 19 projecting horizontally in over the base from i the upper ends of the uprights.

Prior to the drawing in operation, the threads 10 are led. from the warp beam 11 through an elongated horizontal clamp 29 which is mounted on the front of a bracket 21 spanning the uprights '13. From the clamp 2t), the threads extend upwardly and around the back side of a horizontal separating screw 22 and then up to an elongated horizontal friction clamp 23 which grips the free ends of the threads. The clamp 23 is held yieldably in the closed position by springs 24 land is mounted on upright arms 25 secured to the bracket 21.

Supported on the truck 17 are the drop wires 12, the

during this operation.

frames 26 for the heddles 13 and the reed 14. The drop wires, which are conventional in construction, are disposed near the front of the machine and are suspended from the arms 19 by vertical bars 27 hinged at 28 to brackets 2% on the arms. Behind the :drop wires, the heddle frames 26 are hung on laterally spaced hooks 30 which are suspended from horizontal bars 31 by means of vertical rods 32. Through the medium of rollers 33, the bars 31 rest on rails 34 which span the arms .19. The reed 14 is disposed behind the heddle frames and is separately supported on a warp carriage 56 by a roller 35.

For the sake of compactness, each frame 26 carries two sets or banks of heddles 13 and 13 with the two sets being spaced respectively in front of and behind the vertical center planeof the associated frame. Herein, this is achieved by offsetting the central portions 36 (FIG. 6) of the heddles 13 forwardly from the end portions 37 while the central portions 36 of the heddles 13 are offset rearwardly from the end portions 37 of those heddles.

Each of the end portions 37 and 3'7 are formed as hooks which are received by and slide on thin horizontal bars 38 secured to the upper and lower rails 39 of the corresponding heddle frame.

To draw in each of the threads 16, an elongated flexible needle 49 is wound in its retracted position in a housing 41 (FIG. 2) and, through a drive mechanism conventional in such #lllElCillIlBS, the needle is projected forwardly through the reed 14, a hole 42 (FIG; 4) in a selected one of the heddles 13 and 13 and a similar hole (not shown) in one of the" drop wires 12. At the end of its forward stroke, the needle hooks over the next thread to be drawn in and then, on the'return stroke, that thread is drawn through the drop wire, the heddle and the reed, the end of the thread being pulled out of the clamp 23 free end portions of the key shafts 45 and 46 respectively so that the key advances the terminal heddle on the shaft and then releases it when the heddle reaches the end of the key. The key hole slots in successive heddles of each set are inverted with the result that a heddle is released for each half revolution of a key shaft. In a manner wellknown in'the art, the key shafts are turned at the proper times under the control of the pattern. A conventional heddle backer 51 (FIG. 1) carried by the car 43 keeps a pressure on the heddles to hold them forward and in engagement with the keys 49 and 50.

As each heddle is released by a key, it is engaged by a leader worm 52 (FIG. 3) and carried forward to a turning worm 53. The latter twists the body portion of the lieddle through degrees to present the hole The various worms 52, 53 and 55 are supported on v the carriage 56 (FIG. 2) which moves on the base 15 with the pattern car 43. To this end, the worms 55- are supported by a common stand 57 secured to supporting bars 58 of the carriage. Individual stands 59 support the shafts 54 for the worms 52 and 53 and these stands are pivotally connected above their lower ends to the carriage bars 58. The lower ends are pivotally connected to a conventional locking mechanism 6% so that the shafts 54 may be. released to permit the frames 26 to be inserted in place. This mechanism is actuated by handles 61 through the medium of a rack 62 and a gear 63.

In addition tol the worm stands 57 and 59, the needle housing 41 also is mounted on the carriage 56, the latter being provided with rollers 64"and 65 which ride on tracks 66 and 67 on the base .15. Guide rollers 68 engage the sides of the track 66 and hold the carriage 'against lateral shifting. In a manner conventional in the art, the carriage 56 and the car 43 are moved progressively to the right as viewed in FIG. 1 in timed relation with the warp drawing operation so that the needle 40 and the worms 52, 53 and 55 always are oriented properly with respect to the reed 14, the heddles 13 and 13 the drop wires 12 and the threads 16.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a novel arrangement by which a single turning worm 53 may be used for turning two banks of weaving elements such as the heddles 13 and 13 in each frame 26. T this end, the body portions of the heddles in at least one of the two banks are deflected laterally so that, even though the two banks normally are offset from each other, the heddles from both .banks enter the turning worm in a common line. While both banks of heddles may be deflected inwardly toward the center plane of the heddle frame, it is preferred to arrange the worm shaft 54 so that the heddles .13 normally bear the usual relationship to the turning worm, that is, they are supported adjacent the bottom diameter of the worm, and deflect the heddles 13 into the line of the heddles 13.

In the present instance, the means for deflecting the body portions 36 of the heddles 11.3 includes a cam surface 69 (FIG. 3) which may conveniently be formed on'the usual needle guide 70. The latter is supported on the carriage 56 whereby the camsurface bears a fixed relation to the turning worm 53. The cam surface is flat and vertical and begins at a point 71 slightly outside the outer edges 72 of the heddles 13 From a point 71, the surface 69 tapers inwardly to a point73 which is about even with the outer edges 74 of the heddles 13. Preferably, thesurface 69 isdisposed above the worm 53 and a similarsurface 69" is located below. With this arrangement, each heddle'13 as it is released by the key 50 engages the cam surface 69 which deflects the body portion of the heddle inwardly toward the worm shaft 54 as the heddle moves along the cam surface (see FIGS. 3 and 4). Vertical holding surfaces 75 and 75, which are parallel to the shaft 54, intersect the cam surfaces at the points 73 and 73' and serves to maintain the deflection of the heddle 13 as the latter is presented to the turning worm 53.

heddle along the cam surface and produce the further deflection. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the outside diameter of the leader worm is tapered in the same direction as the cam surface so that its rear convolution :projects radially a distance sufiicient to engage each heddle 13 as the latter encounters the cam surface. At the same time, the bottom diameter is uniform so that the leader worm acts on theheddles 13 inthe normal manner. In the present instance, the angle of taper of the outside diameter is more'shallow than the angle of the cam surface.

In accordance with a more detailed aspect of the invention, the two key shafts 45 and 46 and the worm shaft 54 are driven in synchronism so that the keys 49 and 50 alternately release a heddle from the bank 13 and then from the other bank 13*. This permits the two banks to act together as a conventional single bank while supporting appreciably more threads 10 for any given width of the warp. For these purposes, the key shafts and the worm shaft for each heddle frame 26 are geared together to turn the key shafts one quarter of a revolution for each revolution of the worm shaft and the keys 49 and 50, each of which is effective to release a heddle every half revolution, are offset from each other by 90 degrees. i

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the worm shaft 54 constitutes 'the input for the gearing connecting this shaft and the two key shafts 45 and 46 and, under the control of the pattern, the worm shaft is turned one revolution each time the associated heddle frame is selected by the pattern. A spur gear 76 fast on the worm shaft meshes with a gear 77 keyed to a shaft 78 which is journaled on the pattern car 43. A second spur gear 79 on the latter shaft meshes with an internal gear 80 which is fast on a shaft 81 also journaled on the pattern car. The sizes of the gears 76-, 77, 79 and 80' are such as to produce a four to one reduction from the shaft 54 to the shaft 81. A spur gear 82 on the shaft 81 meshes with gears 83 and 84 keyed respectively to shafts 85 and 86 which are journaled on the car 43 and coupled to the key shafts 45 and 46 by suitable chucks 87. A similar unit of'shafts and gearing is provided for each heddle frame and each unit is under the separate control of the pattern.

It will be observed that, with the construction described above, only a single turning Worm 53 is required for each heddle frame 26 even though the latter supports two banks of heddles 13 and 13 This permits the use of a comparatively simple and compact mechanism for presenting the heddles to the needle 40 while at the same time obtaining all the advantages provided by a double or duplex heddle arrangement.

I claim as my invention:

1-. In a warp drawing-in machine, the combination of, a base, a turning worm supported on said base to rotate about a predetermined axis, a heddle frame mounted on said base, a first set of heddles supported on said frame in a first row parallel to and adjacent said axis to be delivered to said worm along a path defined by said row, a second set of heddles supported on said frame in a second and parallel row, said second row being disposed farther from said axis than said first row, mechanism. operable selectively to release heddles one at a time from said two sets and advance the released heddle toward said worm, means engaging each heddle released from said second set and operable to deflect the heddle laterally out of said second path and toward said axis, and a leader worm coaxial with and disposed behind said turning worm, said. leader worm having a uniform bottom diameter and a tapered outside diameter with the smaller end of the taper adjacent said turning worm, said first set of heddles being disposed adjacent said bottom diameter and said second set being disposed adjacent the outside diameter at the larger end of said leader worm whereby the leader worm advances heddles from both sets to the turning worm.

2. In a warp drawing-in machine, the combination of, a base, a heddle frame mounted on said base, first and second sets of heddles carried by said frame and disposed in individual planes, a turning worm supported on said base adjacent said frame to rotate about an axis parallel to said planes and laterally spaced from at least the plane of said first set of heddles, control means operable selectively to release heddles one at a time from said two sets and advance the released heddle toward said worm, mechanism engaging each heddle released from said first set and operable to deflect the heddle progressively out of the corresponding plane and toward the axis of said worm, and a leader worm coaxial with and disposed behind said turning worm to advance heddles released from said second set to said turning worm, said leader worm being tapered with its smaller end adjacent said turning worm whereby the leader worm engages each heddle of said first set as it is deflected out of said path and advances the heddle to the turning worm.

3. In a warp drawing-in machine, the combination of, a base, a heddle frame mounted on said base, a plurality of elongated heddles disposed in a row with their opposite ends supported by said frame for movement along a path defined by said row, a turning worm supported on said base to turn about an axis paralleling said row of heddles, said heddles being normally spaced from said axis a distance greater than the outside radius of said Worm, mechanism for separating the end heddle in said row and advancing the same along said path and toward said worm, means operable to engage the separated heddle during the advance thereof and to deflect the central portion of said heddle out of said path and toward said axis while the end portions of the heddle remain in said path,

and a leader worm coaxial with and disposed behind said turning worm, said leader worm being tapered with its smaller end adjacent said turning worm whereby the leader worm engages each heddle as it is deflected out of said path and advances the heddle to the turning worm.

4. In a Warp drawing-in machine, the combination of, a base, a heddle frame mounted on said base, first and second sets of heddles carried by said frame and disposed in individual planes, said planes being paralleled and laterally spaced from each other, a turning worm supported on said base to rotate about an axis parallel to said planes, said worm being laterally spaced from at least the plane of said first set of heddles, control means operable selectively to release heddles one at a time from said two sets and present the released heddle to said worm, a stationary cam disposed behind said worm and having a surface with,

its rear end disposed outside the heddles of said first set, said surface being inclined forwardly toward said worm to engage and deflect a heddle released from said first set out of the corresponding plane and toward the axis of said worm, and means for rotating said worm as it engages each released heddle thereby to twist the body of said heddle to a right angle, said control means being operable to release a heddle alternately from said first set and then from said second set and to release one heddle to each revolution of said worm.

S. In a warp drawing-in machine, the combination of, a base, a turning worm supported on said base to rotate about a predetermined axis, a heddle frame mounted on said base, a first set of heddles supported on said frame in a first row parallel to and adjacent said axis to be delivered to said worm along a path defined by said row, a second set of heddles supported on said frame in a second and parallel row, said second row being disposed Y farther from said axis than said first row, mechanism operable selectively to release heddles one at a time from said two sets and present the released heddle to said worm, and means engaging each heddle released from said second set and operable to deflect the heddle laterally out of said second path and toward said axis whereby said turning worm is effective to operate on both sets of heddles.

6. In a warp drawing-in machine, the combination of, a base, a heddle frame mounted on said base, first and second sets of heddles carried by said frame and disposed in individual planes, said planes being parallel and laterally spaced from each other, a turning worm supported on said base to rotate about an axis parallel to said planes, said worm being laterally spaced from at least the plane of said first set of heddles, control means operable selectively to release heddles one at a time from said two sets and present the released heddle to said worm, a stationary cam disposed behind said worm and having a surface with its rear end disposed outside the heddles of said first set, said surface being inclined forwardly toward said worm to engage and deflect a heddle released from said first set out of the corresponding plane and toward the axis of said worm, and means for rotating said worm as it engages each released heddle thereby to twist the body of said heddle to a right angle.

7. In a warp drawing-in machine, the combination of, a base, a needle mounted on said base to traverse a predetermined path, a heddle frame, first and second sets of I heddles carried by said frame and disposed in individual planes, said planes being perpendicular to said path and laterally spaced from each other, a turning worm supported on said base adjacent said path to turn about an axis which extends transversely of the path and which is laterally displaced from at least the plane of said first set of heddles, control means operable selectively to release heddles one at a time from said two sets and present the released heddle to said worm, mechanism engaging each heddle released from said first set and'operable to deflect the heddle laterally out of the corresponding plane and toward the axis of said worm, and means for rotating said worm as it engages each released heddle thereby to twist the body of the heddle through a right angle and present the body to said needle.

8. In a warp drawing-in machine, the combination of, a base, a heddle frame mounted on said base, a plurality of elongated heddles disposed in a row with their opposite ends supported by said frame for movement along a path defined by said row, a turning worm supported. on said base to turn about an axis paralleling said now of heddles, said heddles being normally spaced from said axis a distance greater than the outside radius of said. worm, mechanism for separating the end heddle in said row and advancing the same along said path and toward said worm, a stationary cam having an inclined surface with the forward end adjacent said worm, said surface extending rearwardly and outwardly away from said axis to engage and progressively deflect the central portion of a separated heddle out of said path and toward said axis while the ends of the heddle remain in said path, and a leader worm coaxial with and disposed behind said turning worm, said leader worm having a taper corresponding generally to the incline of the surface on said cam whereby the leader worm engages each heddle as it is deflected out of said path and advances the heddle to the turning worm.

9. In a warp drawing-in machine, the combination of, a base, a heddle frame mounted on said base, a plurality of elongated heddles disposed in a row with their opposite ends supported on said frame for movement along a path defined by said row, a turning worm supported on said base to turn about an axis paralleling said row of heddles, said heddles being normally spaced from said axis a distance greater than the outside radius of said worm, mechanism for separating the end heddle in said row and advancing the same along said path and toward said worm, and a stationary cam having an inclined sur- 'face with the forward end adjacent said worm, said surface extending rearwardly and outwardly away from said axis to engage a separated heddle during the advance thereof and to deflect the central portion of said heddle out of said path and toward said axis while the end portions of the heddle remain in said path thereby to present said heddle to the worm.

10. In a warp drawing-in machine, the combination of, a base, a support mounted on said base, a plurality of elongated weaving elements disposed, in a row and mounted at opposite ends on said support for movement along a path defined by said row, a turning worm supported on said base to turn about an axis paralleling said row of elements, said elements being normally spaced from said axis a distance greater than the outside radius of said worm, mechanism for separating the end element in said row and advancing the same along said path and i 7 V 8 tuvmra'saia worm, and means operable to engage the sep- References Cited in the file of this patent arated element during the advance thereof and to deflect UNITED STATES PATENTS the central portion of the element out of said path and toward said axis while the end portions of the heddle regi gg et a1 22 4 th th th b t m 1 t t 6 pa y 0 present 6 e emen O Sal V 5 2,746,119 1 Meirhofer M 22 195 

1. IN A WARP DRAWING-IN MACHINE, THE COMBINATION OF, A BASE, A TURNING WORM SUPPORTED ON SAID BASE TO ROTATE ABOUT A PREDETERMINED AXIS, A HEDDLE FRAME MOUNTED ON SAID BASE, A FIRST SET OF HEDDLES SUPPORTED ON SAID FRAME IN A FIRST ROW PARALLEL TO AND ADJACENT SAID AXIS TO BE DELIVERED TO SAID WORM ALONG A PATH DEFINED BY SAID ROW, A SECOND SET OF HEDDLES SUPPORTED ON SAID FRAME IN A SECOND AND PARALLEL ROW, SAID SECOND ROW BEING DISPOSED FARTHER FROM SAID AXIS THAN SAID FIRST ROW, MECHANISM OPERABLE SELECTIVELY TO RELEASE HEDDLES ONE AT A TIME FROM SAID TWO SETS AND ADVANCE THE RELEASED HEDDLE TOWARD SAID WORM, MEANS ENGAGING EACH HEDDLE RELEASED FROM SAID SECOND SET AND OPERABLE TO DEFLECT THE HEDDLE LATERALLY OUT OF SAID SECOND PATH AND TOWARD SAID AXIS, AND A LEADER WORM COAXIAL WITH AND DISPOSED BEHIND SAID TURNING WORM, SAID LEADER WORM HAVING A UNIFORM BOTTOM DIAMETER AND A TAPERED OUTSIDE DIAMETER WITH THE SMALLER END OF THE TAPER ADJACENT SAID TURNING WORM, SAID FIRST SET OF HEDDLES BEING DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID BOTTOM DIAMETER AND SAID SECOND SET BEING DISPOSED ADJACENT THE OUTSIDE DIAMETER AT THE LARGER END OF SAID LEADER WORM WHEREBY THE LEADER WORM ADVANCES HEDDLES FROM BOTH SETS TO THE TURNING WORM. 